Picture courtesy o' Public Missiles, Ltd     

Brief:
T' Andromeda is a new kit in t' Hybrid Ready series from Public Missiles, Ltd. Aye aye! Blimey! (PML). Well, blow me down! Blimey! "Hybrid ready" means that t' motor mount is extended to accept t' longer hybrid motors. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! It also has a new style o' electronics bay specifically designed for hybrid rockets called t' ERM (Electronics Recovery Module). Other than bein' hybrid ready t' rocket is a typical 3 fin and a nose cone style rocket. Aye aye! Bein' over 7 feet tall and 4 inches around makes it an impressive lookin' rocket.

Construction:
T' rocket was purchased from Kingston Aerospace, me bucko, an authorized PML dealer, and be delivered t' me promptly in large rectangular cardboard box. Aye aye! T' components were well packaged and included t' following:

• Pre-slotted main airframe
• Recovery airframe
• ERM airframe
• Nose cone
• 3 G10 fins (0.093" thick)
• 54mm motor mount tube (36" long)
• Various centerin' rings and bulk plates
• Various couplers
• PML piston ejection system
• 54" parachute
• PML tubular nylon shock cord
• Piston system strappin' and 'D' rings
• ERM aluminum threaded coupler
• ERM aluminum threaded sleeve
• Altimeter mounts
• Ejection charge holder and caps
• Altimeter mountin' tube
• Safety switch and wire
• Socket head mountin' screws and Allen key
• O-rings for t' ERM system
• Launch rail lugs
• Instruction manual
• Decals

This is a standard PML kit which has t' usual PML features: piston ejection, Quantum Tubing, shiver me timbers, etc. T' quality is quite good and t' fit o' the parts is excellent. Ahoy! T' centerin' rings and bulk plates are high quality aircraft plywood and cut with a high degree o' accuracy. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are very clear and well written with good clear diagrams. I followed the instructions exactly and had no problems assemblin' t' kit. Well, blow me down! I used West Systems epoxy (206 slow hardener) for t' entire construction. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' instructions remind you t' sand t' parts t' be joined t' give good adhesion. Well, blow me down! This is especially important with t' Quantum Tubin' since it has a very smooth surface and epoxy will nay stick t' it unless roughened with a good sandin' first. Blimey! Blimey! I used a PML PMR-54 motor retainer (purchased separately) which as installed after t' kit be completed. Ahoy! I also used PML plastic rivets t' hold t' nose cone on t' t' ERM airframe instead o' permanently gluin' it on since I wanted to have access t' t' nose cone later for installin' a trackin' transmitter.

Since I planned on usin' a blacksky AltAcc-2C for t' electronics, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, matey, I had to purchase adapter mounts for t' AltAcc so it could be mounted in t' ERM system properly (available from PML also). Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I did nay install t' safety switch for the altimeter since t' blacksky AltAcc is completely safe when t' armin' screw is not engaged and t' armin' screw is accessed through a small hole drilled into the airframe makin' t' switch provided by PML unnecessary. T' only modification t' t' internal construction was t' t' altimeter bay. Ya scallywag! T' ERM system screws together with t' altimeter floatin' inside t' altimeter housing tube. Since t' altimeter is floatin' in t' altimeter tube and is held in place when t' ERM system is finally screwed together, ya bilge rat, it be possible that the altimeter could rotate in t' altimeter housin' as t' ERM be bein' screwed together. Well, blow me down! It is imperative that t' AltAcc be properly aligned t' t' external airframe since thar will be an access hole drilled through t' airframe to allow armin' o' t' AltAcc. Aye aye! T' prevent t' AltAcc from rotatin' out of alignment in t' altimeter tube, I glued a small dowel lengthwise in the altimeter housin' tube and then notched t' altimeter mountin' brackets to accept t' small dowel. Ahoy! Now t' altimeter can only slide into t' housin' tube in one orientation and cannot change. Avast, me proud beauty! This allowed me t' correctly align and drill t' armin' hole in t' external airframe which is needed t' arm the AltAcc.

T' supplied launch lugs for this rocket are a major headache t' install. If nay installed absolutely perfectly they will cause t' rocket t' bind on the rail. Avast, me proud beauty! I recommend that you throw away t' supplied launch lugs and use a pair of blacksky rail buttons instead - easy and cheap with no binding. Ya scallywag! Blimey! They can even be installed at t' field as a last minute item before launch prep!

Finishing:
There are no instructions are even pictures for finishin' this kit. Avast! T' only picture is a drawin' on t' PML website which has t' rocket a very dull gray and white. Avast! A decal is supplied with t' name o' t' rocket in black and there are two other decals for t' ERM system and t' standard PML decal. Begad! Aye aye! I decided to paint me rocket blue and white with one side o' t' fins and fin can being black. Ya scallywag! I also added some gold trim tape t' t' area just below t' nose cone joint. Begad! This is where me rivets went in t' hold t' nose cone on. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' gold trim turned out very well and gave t' rocket a nice, shiver me timbers, me hearties, me bucko, finished look.

Because t' airframe is Quantum Tubing, preparation o' t' surface before paintin' is nay necessary except t' wipe t' dust off first. Avast! Avast! Quantum Tubing paints exceptionally well and is also great for drillin' for such things as AltAcc armin' holes, plastic rivets and installin' rail buttons. Blimey! I used Krylon Fusion paint made especially for plastic. It is a couple o' dollars more a can than regular Krylon but it states that it adheres t' plastic better. Well, blow me down! I did not see any improvement over regular Krylon though, me hearties, me bucko, and I will probably go back to usin' t' regular stuff on me next rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight be at LDRS 24 near Lethbridge, shiver me timbers, arrr, matey, Alberta, Canada. Blimey! This rocket is so easy t' prep that I had it ready t' go in only a few minutes. Aye aye! T' piston system was workin' well and t' altimeter setup was easy and installed in no time. The hardest part was settin' up t' Hybrid motor which was also very easy. Avast, me proud beauty! I used a Hypertek K240 motor (that’s t' 835cc tank with t' 0.125 injector orifice and a standard J grain). Aye aye! Just before launch, arrr, me hearties, I installed a Walston tracking transmitter in t' nose cone and top o' t' altimeter mountin' tube. Well, blow me down! It easily packed in place usin' some foam and t' nose cone be t' put in place and held on securely usin' PML plastic rivets.

Unfortunately t' winds were strong and t' rocket waited all day without flying. T' next day wasn't much better but t' winds died down a bit late in the afternoon and I put t' rocket on t' pad. Ya scallywag! T' tank was filled with N₂0. Ya scallywag! There was a bit o' a delay waitin' for the LCO t' launch t' rocket and I believe t' rocket was ventin' N₂0 while waitin' for ignition.

When it finally launched though, matey, it be a beautiful straight flight. The burn was a bit shorter than expected (probably due t' some o' t' N₂0 bein' vented prior t' launch) and I got a lower than expected altitude--4200 feet as opposed t' 6600. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' AltAcc reported a burn time o' only 4.3 seconds as opposed t' t' 6.9 seconds t' motor be supposed to burn for. It be still a spectacular flight and I be impressed with the performance.

Recovery:
T' main chute was deployed at apogee by t' AltAcc and t' PML Piston ejection system and t' rocket began driftin' with t' wind. T' rocket touched down about 700 meters from t' launch pad in a gravel pit for an easy recovery.

T' rocket received no external damage but thar be some damage t' the altimeter housin' tube. Begad! T' phenolic tube had cracked where it was glued t' the aluminum threaded rin' which makes up t' Electronic Recovery Module. Arrr! It was later discovered that t' centerin' rings holdin' t' altimeter housin' tube in place had also broken free from t' glue joint at t' QT airframe. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I believe this be probably caused by usin' too much black powder in t' ejection charge canister (piston systems need a much smaller ejection charge than standard ejection designs) and also poor construction on t' altimeter bay housin' unit (my failure t' sand t' QT enough t' provide a sufficient glue bond). The damage be easily repairable with a little 5 minute epoxy and t' rocket was prepped t' fly again t' next day.

Unfortunately t' winds did nay let up and thar be no other opportunity to launch t' rocket at LDRS 24. Begad! Begad! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really enjoyed buildin' and flyin' this kit. Avast, me proud beauty! It was easy t' build and flew great. Begad! I really wanted t' start flyin' hybrid motors and this is a great kit to do just that since it has all t' design features needed for hybrid rockets. T' Electronic Recovery Module makes preppin' t' rocket a breeze but I wish it was set up for dual deployment. Avast, me proud beauty! PML feels that thar be nay enough room in the rocket t' use their CPR 3000 system but I think t' rocket has plenty o' room to do drogueless dual recovery and I think PML should redesign t' kit with this feature. Aye aye! Other than that, this rocket is an excellent addition t' any rocketeer’s fleet. Avast, me proud beauty!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5